The goal of this project is to lower withdrawal rates and improve final grades in
three multi-section online courses with problems in these areas. The project’s rationale
is that online sections of courses at Ferris have consistently higher withdrawal rates
than their counterpart face-to-face sections, and certain online sections also have
more D’s and F’s than their counterparts. High rates of W’s, D’s and F’s mean longer
times to graduation and increased student costs. The desired outcome is that student
withdrawal rates and possibly D and F rates in the three courses’ online sections
would equal those of the courses’ face-to-face sections, or if no analogous face-to-face
section exists, then those rates would be lowered to a rate agreed upon by the project
participants and team members. The plan is that three teams, each comprised of at
least three faculty who teach a particular multi-section course online, would meet
and work for four semesters to resolve their course’s student-success challenges,
facilitated by the project participants and occasionally by a course designer from
FCTL.

Through a proposal process, project participants would select three teams, one each
from the College of Health Professions, College of Business, and College of Arts and
Sciences as these colleges deliver the majority of Ferris’ online courses and programs.
Throughout the project, the project participants would meet with the teams to facilitate
their work, and the teams would meet to share their courses and research, agree on
a set of strategies to improve student success in their sections, and then implement
these strategies in their courses in the second and third semesters of the project.
In the fourth semester, teams would gather and analyze their results; then the project
participants would publish the teams’ results as well as the results of the project
overall.

Approved budget: $12,000

Status: Project began January 2015; currently in-progress

Project title: Pilot Phase Projects in Support of Revision of the Developmental and General Education
Mathematics Program

Roxanne Cullen, College of Arts and Sciences, Languages and Literature Department

Megan Gibson, College of Arts and Sciences, Mathematics Department

Victor Piercey, College of Arts and Sciences, Mathematics Department

Joe Tripp, College of Arts and Sciences, Mathematics Department

Jerome Trouba, College of Arts and Sciences, Mathematics Department

Abstract:

There are numerous efforts nationwide to improve and revise the content and delivery
of developmental and general education mathematics. The purpose of these efforts
is to provide students with mathematical experiences that are more inclusive and relevant.
This goal embodies Woodbridge Ferris’ vision to create an educational institution
that supports “all people, regardless of race or station.” In the spirit of this
vision, a small group of faculty from the Mathematics Department and the Languages
and Literature Department have launched several pilot projects that will serve as
a catalyst for a substantive revision of the developmental and general education mathematics
program at Ferris. This specific proposal calls for support for student/faculty partnerships
to analyze the data generated from these pilot projects. These partnerships would
provide opportunities for student research, support the dissemination of research
results, lead to course improvement, and serve as the seeds of change for a wider
revision of the general education mathematics curriculum at FSU.

The purpose of this project is to provide student learning assistance for baccalaureate
pre-nursing students who have challenges with testing and writing skills specific to the nursing profession. The licensure exam for nurses has increased the required
level to pass, and scores have dropped accordingly. The School of Nursing would like
to see pass rates that match or exceed state and national pass rates for similar programs.
As first time pass rates are an important consideration of the School of Nursing accrediting
body, it is imperative students are provided every possible support to be successful.
Additionally, some students have difficulty with writing skills, particularly in regards
to the style and approach to writing required in the nursing profession. Employers
have noted that four year college graduates are deficient in written communication
(Casner-Lotto & Barrington, 2006), and effective written communication is an essential
part of the nursing role and has an impact on patient care (McCabe & Timmons, 2006;
Wright, 2012). This project would provide students who are struggling with either
of these areas, with a structured, supportive program of twice monthly sessions to
focus on testing and/or writing skills as they pertain to the nursing profession specifically.
Faculty with strengths in these areas will develop and lead supportive sessions of
two hours in length every other week. Faculty will develop materials and learner-centered
approaches to assist students who have been referred by faculty or who have self-identified
as having difficulty with either writing or testing.

Approved budget: $7,000

Status: Project began August 2014; currently in-progress

Project title: College Awareness and Transition Supports Program

Primary author:

Christine Conley-Sowels, College of Education and Human Services, School of Education

Secondary authors:

Cheri Cramer, College of Education and Human Services, School of Education

Marcy Jaques, College of Education and Human Services, School of Education

Abstract:

The College Awareness and Transition Supports (CATS) program was developed as a pilot
program in 2013 to assist high school juniors and seniors with Asperger’s Syndrome
(AS) and/or High-Functioning Autism (HFA) in transitioning to college. The intent
of the CATS program is to provide strategies and resources to aid in the success of
these individuals as they plan for college. The program focuses on teaching self-awareness
and self-advocacy skills based on the individual strengths and areas of struggles
of participating students. This grant will assist in allowing us to replicate and
enhance the original CATS program during the 2014 Spring, Summer and Fall semesters.
We will continue to help students understand the differences between post-secondary
supports addressed through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 offered at colleges/universities verses public school
services guaranteed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA).

This grant will allow us to serve approximately 10-12 high school juniors and seniors
from several surrounding local school districts. During the Spring and Summer 2014
semesters, the selected students will attend four days on FSU campus to learn the
specific skills and resources outlined in the program.

In the 2014 Fall semester, the CATS program will be additionally enhanced by offering
a new mentoring process for FSU students who’ve attended the CATS program during 2013
and/or 2014. This mentoring process will assist in assuring a successful transition
into university life. Our goal is to assist in the retention and success of students
with AS and/or HFA as they transition from high school to FSU. To evaluate the success
of the CATS program, data will be collected at all phases of the program by use of
pre/post surveys, Likert scale daily evaluations, observations, and activity assessment.

Approved budget: $8,390

Status: Project began Summer 2014; currently in-progress

Project title: Improving Student Success Through a Strength-Based Leadership Program

With increasing enrollment in US colleges and universities, ensuring that an effective
strategy is in place to foster student success and overall retention is a challenge
and one that can be rather costly. The primary objective of this 3-year pilot study
is to develop and administer a leadership program to improve both student success
rates and overall retention by helping students identify, accept, and apply their
strengths. As has been shown by other college-based leadership programs, it is anticipated
that this strength-based leadership program will contribute to improving student success,
help at-risk students become successful through mentoring, and improve the overall
program retention rate.

The goal of this project is to increase the proportion of the student body successfully
completing the university-wide mathematics requirement. The current required mathematics
course focuses on procedural fluency without linking content to relevant contexts.
This may be appropriate for students who will ultimately take calculus, but a majority
of degree programs at Ferris do not require mathematics beyond the current university
requirement. Failure to complete this course contributes to retention problems.

We propose the design of a quantitative literacy course focused on financial literacy
and public policy. This course will align with the Ferris General Education Task Force's
recommendations. The course will also include a service learning component. We believe
that offering an alternative course in which mathematics is contextualized and relevant
will result in increased student engagement, which in turn will lead to a higher completion
rate.

Approved budget: $19,552.00

Status: Project began in Spring 2013; currently in-progress

Project Title: An Exploration of Perceptions of Advising at Ferris State University and Their Relationships
to Student Retention

Authors:

Andy Karafa, College of Arts and Sciences, Social Sciences Department

Anne Marie Gillespie, College of Arts and Sciences

Abstract:

The purpose of this research is twofold. First, we intend to better understand perceptions
of advising within the College of Arts and Sciences. Although student perceptions
are of primary importance, we will also assess parental and faculty perceptions.

Second, we have designed a study that will add significantly to the advising literature.
According to seminal research by Tinto (1975), student persistence can be predicted
by a variety of variables including academic and social integration. Although the
two key variables, social and academic integration, are likely predicted by advising,
few studies (e.g., Bai & Pan, 2009) have specifically examined advising in relation
to this model. This study will do so. Further, we plan to extend this model by examining
student retention by way of industrial/organizational variables (e.g., see Bean, 1983),
namely organizational commitment (e.g., Meyer & Allen, 1991) and intention to quit.
Specifically, we predict that student perceptions of advising will be positively related
to social and academic integration. Both forms of integration will, in turn, predict
student commitment. Student commitment is then expected to relate to intention to
quit.

A student’s perceptions of advising are likely influenced by expectations. These expectations
may be impacted, at least in part, by parental expectations. Therefore, we will also
examine whether student perceptions are moderated by parental perceptions. In addition,
faculty perceptions of advising will be compared to those of students in order to
examine the degree of shared and divergent perceptions.

The data will be obtained via questionnaire. The questionnaire will include measures
of academic and social integration, student commitment to Ferris, intention to quit,
parental expectations of advising, and student and faculty perceptions of advising.

The purpose of this project is to provide the costs associated with assessment and
testing for students who (a) have not been diagnosed with a learning disability or
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and (b) demonstrate significant learning
problems that may be attributed to either or both conditions. Students identified
as having these conditions through a voluntary assessment will be provided financial
assistance to be tested for a learning disability and/or ADHD, receive a written report
from the tester, explanation of the results, and recommendations for accommodations
and services that the student can use to improve his or her likelihood of academic
success. For ethical reasons, a licensed psychologist outside of the University who
is trained in psychometric measures will complete the learning disability and/or ADHD
testing, the average cost of which is $500. Supporting students by paying for psychological
testing will help students to understand their learning challenges. By identifying,
diagnosing, and accommodating these individuals during their postsecondary experiences,
we also help them to both understand their challenges to educational success and make
appropriate and adaptive career choices as they leave the college environment and
enter the workforce.